Ethics of Paid Maternity Leave

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Ethics of Paid Maternity Leave Introduction Why maternity leave is beneficial According to the Save the Children - State of the World Mothers 2012 report, “much of a child’s future – and in fact much of a nation’s future – is determined by the quality of nutrition in the first 1,000 days. The period from the start of a mother’s pregnancy through her child’s second birthday is a critical window when a child’s brain and body are developing rapidly and good nutrition is essential to lay the foundation for a healthy and productive future. If children do not get the right nutrients during this period, the damage is often irreversible”. Poor compliance with breastfeeding recommendations costs the world economy billions of dollars each year. In the United States alone, it is estimated that low rates of breastfeeding add $13 billion to medical costs and lead to 911 excess deaths every year (Save, 2012). Perhaps the most effective way to improve breastfeeding rates is to provide longer periods of paid maternity leave. Countries with generous maternity and parental leave policies – such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden – tend to have high breastfeeding rates. Public health researchers in the United States recently found that women whose maternity leave lasted longer than six weeks were more likely to initiate breastfeeding, continue for more than six months and rely mostly on exclusive breastfeeding beyond three months, compared with women who returned to work between one and six weeks after giving birth. Many countries have also enacted laws to enable mothers to have paid nursing breaks, some up to one hour paid per day as long as the mother needs. Others allow nursing breaks, but they are unpaid. However, child care must remain close to the mothers’ employer in order for this to work (Save, 2012). One way to improve the nutrition of mothers and children is to

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